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Rolling Forward

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Martin Sundberg Cyclists favor the scenic, rolling roads of the
Presidio, like this one leading to the Main Post. EXPLORE

Rolling forward Bike, walk, or take a tour of San Francisco's
newly renovated Presidio Park planner By Lisa Taggart Just inside
the 15th Avenue Gate of the Presidio of San Francisco, in the lower
level of Arion Press, our tour guide has to shout over the noise. A
clanging type-making machine spits out newly formed letters and
lines them up in orderly rows. Down the hall, bulky letterpresses
stand ready to fold these words into sheets; in another room, the
pages are sewn into bindings. Largely handmade from start to
finish, Arion's extraordinary books include Andrew Jackson
Grayson's Birds of the Pacific Slope, as well as a Seamus Heaney
book illustrated by Sol LeWitt. Our guide opens one of Arion's
best-known works, a copy of Moby Dick illustrated with wood
engravings by artist Barry Moser. "This is quite a collaboration,"
she says. Martin Sundberg Tours of the Arion Press reveal the
elaborate process of creating limited-edition letterpress books.
It's a surprise to find the press ― an educational institute,
bookmaker, publisher, printer, and typefoundry all rolled into one
― in the Presidio, a former military post better known for
its bayside views. But with its richly layered history and
spectacular location, this army post-turned-national park is full
of discoveries, especially right now. The Presidio is an anomaly.
The post has been under Spanish, Mexican, and American rule and had
a role in every U.S. military conflict of the 20th century. Charged
to become financially self-sufficient by 2013, the park is rolling
through uncharted territory. With 1,100 residents living in
rehabilitated military housing, new businesses such as the huge
Sports Basement store, and the much-discussed Lucasfilm digital
center under construction, this is a national park like no other.
It balances those developments with a mandate to preserve the
post's architectural character, endangered species, and open space,
making it an experiment in urban harmony, set in the city's
prettiest corner. MORE Travel page Search Travel Martin Sundberg
Cyclists favor the scenic, rolling roads of the Presidio, like this
one leading to the Main Post. EXPLORE Rolling forward Bike, walk,
or take a tour of San Francisco's newly renovated Presidio Park
planner By Lisa Taggart Just inside the 15th Avenue Gate of the
Presidio of San Francisco, in the lower level of Arion Press, our
tour guide has to shout over the noise. A clanging type-making
machine spits out newly formed letters and lines them up in orderly
rows. Down the hall, bulky letterpresses stand ready to fold these
words into sheets; in another room, the pages are sewn into
bindings. Largely handmade from start to finish, Arion's
extraordinary books include Andrew Jackson Grayson's Birds of the
Pacific Slope, as well as a Seamus Heaney book illustrated by Sol
LeWitt. Our guide opens one of Arion's best-known works, a copy of
Moby Dick illustrated with wood engravings by artist Barry Moser.
"This is quite a collaboration," she says. Martin Sundberg Tours of
the Arion Press reveal the elaborate process of creating
limited-edition letterpress books. It's a surprise to find the
press ― an educational institute, bookmaker, publisher,
printer, and typefoundry all rolled into one ― in the
Presidio, a former military post better known for its bayside
views. But with its richly layered history and spectacular
location, this army post-turned-national park is full of
discoveries, especially right now. The Presidio is an anomaly. The
post has been under Spanish, Mexican, and American rule and had a
role in every U.S. military conflict of the 20th century. Charged
to become financially self-sufficient by 2013, the park is rolling
through uncharted territory. With 1,100 residents living in
rehabilitated military housing, new businesses such as the huge
Sports Basement store, and the much-discussed Lucasfilm digital
center under construction, this is a national park like no other.
It balances those developments with a mandate to preserve the
post's architectural character, endangered species, and open space,
making it an experiment in urban harmony, set in the city's
prettiest corner. And in Arion Press's light-filled gallery
overlooking Mountain Lake Park ― where explorer Juan Bautista
de Anza and his party camped in 1776 as they established the
beginnings of San Francisco ― it seems that all of the
Presidio is today, in our guide's words, quite a collaboration. A
marvel of nature On Anza's expedition, fellow explorer Pedro Font,
a priest, called this landscape "a marvel of nature." Though the
place looks decidedly different now, the views remain majestic. Up
on the Presidio's Inspiration Point, tourists and residents take in
the blue calm of the bay, dotted with white sailboats. Forested
slopes stretch out below, a green carpet so lush you could be
fooled into thinking you're not in the city at all. And you
wouldn't be the only creature fooled. Damien Raffa, a
natural-resource specialist for the park, was shocked when
residents reported coyote sightings in the park two years ago. He
was skeptical until the claim was documented with photographs. It's
one example of the remarkable pairings here. Raffa says he seeks to
create "harmonious coexistence" for wildlife and human residents.
Residents, for their part, are embracing the opportunity to live
with a bit of wildness. "We're demonstrating that nature does have
a place in cities," Raffa says. What has kept the post undeveloped
has largely been the public's affection. This has also helped
transform the landscape in a small but revolutionary way. In the
last decade, hundreds of volunteers have worked to restore native
plant communities to Crissy Field, Mountain Lake Park, and the
bluffs under the Golden Gate Bridge. "It's the big bonus ― to
be somewhere beautiful and make it more so," says five-year
volunteer Bernadette C. Hooper. Others come just to appreciate the
scenery. On a weekend afternoon, strollers, runners, and dog
walkers parade past the sparkling bay on the promenade along Crissy
Field. The partially forested Ecology Trail, under the eucalyptus
and pine trees planted by the U.S. Army, is a quiet, shady refuge
allowing glimpses of wildflowers and the California state rock,
serpentine. And a walk along windy Baker Beach offers peaceful
views of the Marin Headlands. That's a lot of variety in this small
space. "There's a texture and complexity in the landscape that is
remarkable," says Michael Boland, associate director for planning
at the Presidio Trust, the federal agency established by Congress
in 1996 to manage the long-term care of the park. "We have a
300-acre historic forest, a tidal marsh, the last year-round
free-flowing stream in San Francisco, a host of historic
structures, incredible recreation amenities, endangered species ...
You could go on and on. It's incredible." Moving forward, carefully
Taking care of this diversity is the challenge facing the park. At
the Main Post, the former parade grounds at the Presidio's heart,
the sound of hammers and power tools indicates that changes are
afoot. But plans involve carefully folding history into the future:
The post's oldest building, the Officers' Club, part of which dates
to 1812, now houses a visitor center and gallery with changing
historical and art exhibitions. Down the road, cream-colored
Victorian homes built for officers now house offices for nonprofit
groups. And in the remodeled Mediterranean Revival San Francisco
Film Centre, cozy Desiree Cafe serves warming soups and leafy
salads. Beyond, young families overflow from the former army
barracks that now serve as apartment buildings on MacArthur Avenue
near El Polin Spring, a burbling stream reported (back when its
water was potable) to reward drinkers with fertility. Around the
spring's meadow, a father and daughter bicycle, she teetering
despite training wheels. She rolls down the hill slowly, so
cautious she's in danger of toppling. The father reaches out a hand
to steady the back of her seat as she concentrates. It's a quiet,
personal collaboration ― and a snapshot of the Presidio's new
harmony. MORE Travel page Search Travel Martin Sundberg Cyclists
favor the scenic, rolling roads of the Presidio, like this one
leading to the Main Post. EXPLORE Rolling forward Bike, walk, or
take a tour of San Francisco's newly renovated Presidio Park
planner By Lisa Taggart Just inside the 15th Avenue Gate of the
Presidio of San Francisco, in the lower level of Arion Press, our
tour guide has to shout over the noise. A clanging type-making
machine spits out newly formed letters and lines them up in orderly
rows. Down the hall, bulky letterpresses stand ready to fold these
words into sheets; in another room, the pages are sewn into
bindings. Largely handmade from start to finish, Arion's
extraordinary books include Andrew Jackson Grayson's Birds of the
Pacific Slope, as well as a Seamus Heaney book illustrated by Sol
LeWitt. Our guide opens one of Arion's best-known works, a copy of
Moby Dick illustrated with wood engravings by artist Barry Moser.
"This is quite a collaboration," she says. Martin Sundberg Tours of
the Arion Press reveal the elaborate process of creating
limited-edition letterpress books. It's a surprise to find the
press ― an educational institute, bookmaker, publisher,
printer, and typefoundry all rolled into one ― in the
Presidio, a former military post better known for its bayside
views. But with its richly layered history and spectacular
location, this army post-turned-national park is full of
discoveries, especially right now. The Presidio is an anomaly. The
post has been under Spanish, Mexican, and American rule and had a
role in every U.S. military conflict of the 20th century. Charged
to become financially self-sufficient by 2013, the park is rolling
through uncharted territory. With 1,100 residents living in
rehabilitated military housing, new businesses such as the huge
Sports Basement store, and the much-discussed Lucasfilm digital
center under construction, this is a national park like no other.
It balances those developments with a mandate to preserve the
post's architectural character, endangered species, and open space,
making it an experiment in urban harmony, set in the city's
prettiest corner. And in Arion Press's light-filled gallery
overlooking Mountain Lake Park ― where explorer Juan Bautista
de Anza and his party camped in 1776 as they established the
beginnings of San Francisco ― it seems that all of the
Presidio is today, in our guide's words, quite a collaboration. A
marvel of nature On Anza's expedition, fellow explorer Pedro Font,
a priest, called this landscape "a marvel of nature." Though the
place looks decidedly different now, the views remain majestic. Up
on the Presidio's Inspiration Point, tourists and residents take in
the blue calm of the bay, dotted with white sailboats. Forested
slopes stretch out below, a green carpet so lush you could be
fooled into thinking you're not in the city at all. And you
wouldn't be the only creature fooled. Damien Raffa, a
natural-resource specialist for the park, was shocked when
residents reported coyote sightings in the park two years ago. He
was skeptical until the claim was documented with photographs. It's
one example of the remarkable pairings here. Raffa says he seeks to
create "harmonious coexistence" for wildlife and human residents.
Residents, for their part, are embracing the opportunity to live
with a bit of wildness. "We're demonstrating that nature does have
a place in cities," Raffa says. What has kept the post undeveloped
has largely been the public's affection. This has also helped
transform the landscape in a small but revolutionary way. In the
last decade, hundreds of volunteers have worked to restore native
plant communities to Crissy Field, Mountain Lake Park, and the
bluffs under the Golden Gate Bridge. "It's the big bonus ― to
be somewhere beautiful and make it more so," says five-year
volunteer Bernadette C. Hooper. Others come just to appreciate the
scenery. On a weekend afternoon, strollers, runners, and dog
walkers parade past the sparkling bay on the promenade along Crissy
Field. The partially forested Ecology Trail, under the eucalyptus
and pine trees planted by the U.S. Army, is a quiet, shady refuge
allowing glimpses of wildflowers and the California state rock,
serpentine. And a walk along windy Baker Beach offers peaceful
views of the Marin Headlands. That's a lot of variety in this small
space. "There's a texture and complexity in the landscape that is
remarkable," says Michael Boland, associate director for planning
at the Presidio Trust, the federal agency established by Congress
in 1996 to manage the long-term care of the park. "We have a
300-acre historic forest, a tidal marsh, the last year-round
free-flowing stream in San Francisco, a host of historic
structures, incredible recreation amenities, endangered species ...
You could go on and on. It's incredible." Moving forward, carefully
Taking care of this diversity is the challenge facing the park. At
the Main Post, the former parade grounds at the Presidio's heart,
the sound of hammers and power tools indicates that changes are
afoot. But plans involve carefully folding history into the future:
The post's oldest building, the Officers' Club, part of which dates
to 1812, now houses a visitor center and gallery with changing
historical and art exhibitions. Down the road, cream-colored
Victorian homes built for officers now house offices for nonprofit
groups. And in the remodeled Mediterranean Revival San Francisco
Film Centre, cozy Desiree Cafe serves warming soups and leafy
salads. Beyond, young families overflow from the former army
barracks that now serve as apartment buildings on MacArthur Avenue
near El Polin Spring, a burbling stream reported (back when its
water was potable) to reward drinkers with fertility. Around the
spring's meadow, a father and daughter bicycle, she teetering
despite training wheels. She rolls down the hill slowly, so
cautious she's in danger of toppling. The father reaches out a hand
to steady the back of her seat as she concentrates. It's a quiet,
personal collaboration ― and a snapshot of the Presidio's new
harmony. MORE Travel page Search Travel Martin Sundberg Cyclists
favor the scenic, rolling roads of the Presidio, like this one
leading to the Main Post. EXPLORE Rolling forward Bike, walk, or
take a tour of San Francisco's newly renovated Presidio Park
planner By Lisa Taggart Just inside the 15th Avenue Gate of the
Presidio of San Francisco, in the lower level of Arion Press, our
tour guide has to shout over the noise. A clanging type-making
machine spits out newly formed letters and lines them up in orderly
rows. Down the hall, bulky letterpresses stand ready to fold these
words into sheets; in another room, the pages are sewn into
bindings. Largely handmade from start to finish, Arion's
extraordinary books include Andrew Jackson Grayson's Birds of the
Pacific Slope, as well as a Seamus Heaney book illustrated by Sol
LeWitt. Our guide opens one of Arion's best-known works, a copy of
Moby Dick illustrated with wood engravings by artist Barry Moser.
"This is quite a collaboration," she says. Martin Sundberg Tours of
the Arion Press reveal the elaborate process of creating
limited-edition letterpress books. It's a surprise to find the
press ― an educational institute, bookmaker, publisher,
printer, and typefoundry all rolled into one ― in the
Presidio, a former military post better known for its bayside
views. But with its richly layered history and spectacular
location, this army post-turned-national park is full of
discoveries, especially right now. The Presidio is an anomaly. The
post has been under Spanish, Mexican, and American rule and had a
role in every U.S. military conflict of the 20th century. Charged
to become financially self-sufficient by 2013, the park is rolling
through uncharted territory. With 1,100 residents living in
rehabilitated military housing, new businesses such as the huge
Sports Basement store, and the much-discussed Lucasfilm digital
center under construction, this is a national park like no other.
It balances those developments with a mandate to preserve the
post's architectural character, endangered species, and open space,
making it an experiment in urban harmony, set in the city's
prettiest corner. And in Arion Press's light-filled gallery
overlooking Mountain Lake Park ― where explorer Juan Bautista
de Anza and his party camped in 1776 as they established the
beginnings of San Francisco ― it seems that all of the
Presidio is today, in our guide's words, quite a collaboration. A
marvel of nature On Anza's expedition, fellow explorer Pedro Font,
a priest, called this landscape "a marvel of nature." Though the
place looks decidedly different now, the views remain majestic. Up
on the Presidio's Inspiration Point, tourists and residents take in
the blue calm of the bay, dotted with white sailboats. Forested
slopes stretch out below, a green carpet so lush you could be
fooled into thinking you're not in the city at all. And you
wouldn't be the only creature fooled. Damien Raffa, a
natural-resource specialist for the park, was shocked when
residents reported coyote sightings in the park two years ago. He
was skeptical until the claim was documented with photographs. It's
one example of the remarkable pairings here. Raffa says he seeks to
create "harmonious coexistence" for wildlife and human residents.
Residents, for their part, are embracing the opportunity to live
with a bit of wildness. "We're demonstrating that nature does have
a place in cities," Raffa says. What has kept the post undeveloped
has largely been the public's affection. This has also helped
transform the landscape in a small but revolutionary way. In the
last decade, hundreds of volunteers have worked to restore native
plant communities to Crissy Field, Mountain Lake Park, and the
bluffs under the Golden Gate Bridge. "It's the big bonus ― to
be somewhere beautiful and make it more so," says five-year
volunteer Bernadette C. Hooper. Others come just to appreciate the
scenery. On a weekend afternoon, strollers, runners, and dog
walkers parade past the sparkling bay on the promenade along Crissy
Field. The partially forested Ecology Trail, under the eucalyptus
and pine trees planted by the U.S. Army, is a quiet, shady refuge
allowing glimpses of wildflowers and the California state rock,
serpentine. And a walk along windy Baker Beach offers peaceful
views of the Marin Headlands. That's a lot of variety in this small
space. "There's a texture and complexity in the landscape that is
remarkable," says Michael Boland, associate director for planning
at the Presidio Trust, the federal agency established by Congress
in 1996 to manage the long-term care of the park. "We have a
300-acre historic forest, a tidal marsh, the last year-round
free-flowing stream in San Francisco, a host of historic
structures, incredible recreation amenities, endangered species ...
You could go on and on. It's incredible." Moving forward, carefully
Taking care of this diversity is the challenge facing the park. At
the Main Post, the former parade grounds at the Presidio's heart,
the sound of hammers and power tools indicates that changes are
afoot. But plans involve carefully folding history into the future:
The post's oldest building, the Officers' Club, part of which dates
to 1812, now houses a visitor center and gallery with changing
historical and art exhibitions. Down the road, cream-colored
Victorian homes built for officers now house offices for nonprofit
groups. And in the remodeled Mediterranean Revival San Francisco
Film Centre, cozy Desiree Cafe serves warming soups and leafy
salads. Beyond, young families overflow from the former army
barracks that now serve as apartment buildings on MacArthur Avenue
near El Polin Spring, a burbling stream reported (back when its
water was potable) to reward drinkers with fertility.

Around the spring's meadow, a father and daughter bicycle, she
teetering despite training wheels. She rolls down the hill slowly,
so cautious she's in danger of toppling. The father reaches out a
hand to steady the back of her seat as she concentrates. It's a
quiet, personal collaboration ― and a snapshot of the
Presidio's new harmony.

Home Page | Travel | Garden | Homes | Food | Books

Copyright 2004 Sunset Publishing Corporation Try two issues of
Sunset free! Home Page | Travel | Garden | Homes | Food | Books
Copyright 2004 Sunset Publishing Corporation Try two issues of
Sunset free! Home Page | Travel | Garden | Homes | Food | Books
Copyright 2004 Sunset Publishing Corporation Try two issues of
Sunset free! And in Arion Press's light-filled gallery overlooking
Mountain Lake Park ― where explorer Juan Bautista de Anza and
his party camped in 1776 as they established the beginnings of San
Francisco ― it seems that all of the Presidio is today, in
our guide's words, quite a collaboration. A marvel of nature On
Anza's expedition, fellow explorer Pedro Font, a priest, called
this landscape "a marvel of nature." Though the place looks
decidedly different now, the views remain majestic. Up on the
Presidio's Inspiration Point, tourists and residents take in the
blue calm of the bay, dotted with white sailboats. Forested slopes
stretch out below, a green carpet so lush you could be fooled into
thinking you're not in the city at all. And you wouldn't be the
only creature fooled. Damien Raffa, a natural-resource specialist
for the park, was shocked when residents reported coyote sightings
in the park two years ago. He was skeptical until the claim was
documented with photographs. It's one example of the remarkable
pairings here. Raffa says he seeks to create "harmonious
coexistence" for wildlife and human residents. Residents, for their
part, are embracing the opportunity to live with a bit of wildness.
"We're demonstrating that nature does have a place in cities,"
Raffa says. What has kept the post undeveloped has largely been the
public's affection. This has also helped transform the landscape in
a small but revolutionary way. In the last decade, hundreds of
volunteers have worked to restore native plant communities to
Crissy Field, Mountain Lake Park, and the bluffs under the Golden
Gate Bridge. "It's the big bonus ― to be somewhere beautiful
and make it more so," says five-year volunteer Bernadette C.
Hooper. Others come just to appreciate the scenery. On a weekend
afternoon, strollers, runners, and dog walkers parade past the
sparkling bay on the promenade along Crissy Field. The partially
forested Ecology Trail, under the eucalyptus and pine trees planted
by the U.S. Army, is a quiet, shady refuge allowing glimpses of
wildflowers and the California state rock, serpentine. And a walk
along windy Baker Beach offers peaceful views of the Marin
Headlands. That's a lot of variety in this small space. "There's a
texture and complexity in the landscape that is remarkable," says
Michael Boland, associate director for planning at the Presidio
Trust, the federal agency established by Congress in 1996 to manage
the long-term care of the park. "We have a 300-acre historic
forest, a tidal marsh, the last year-round free-flowing stream in
San Francisco, a host of historic structures, incredible recreation
amenities, endangered species ... You could go on and on. It's
incredible." Moving forward, carefully Taking care of this
diversity is the challenge facing the park. At the Main Post, the
former parade grounds at the Presidio's heart, the sound of hammers
and power tools indicates that changes are afoot. But plans involve
carefully folding history into the future: The post's oldest
building, the Officers' Club, part of which dates to 1812, now
houses a visitor center and gallery with changing historical and
art exhibitions. Down the road, cream-colored Victorian homes built
for officers now house offices for nonprofit groups. And in the
remodeled Mediterranean Revival San Francisco Film Centre, cozy
Desiree Cafe serves warming soups and leafy salads. Beyond, young
families overflow from the former army barracks that now serve as
apartment buildings on MacArthur Avenue near El Polin Spring, a
burbling stream reported (back when its water was potable) to
reward drinkers with fertility. Around the spring's meadow, a
father and daughter bicycle, she teetering despite training wheels.
She rolls down the hill slowly, so cautious she's in danger of
toppling. The father reaches out a hand to steady the back of her
seat as she concentrates. It's a quiet, personal collaboration
― and a snapshot of the Presidio's new harmony. Home Page |
Travel | Garden | Homes | Food | Books Copyright 2004 Sunset
Publishing Corporation ç Try two issues of Sunset free!